Priority
by kryptoniansky
Summary: Nothing was more important to Kensi in that moment - not her job, her friends, or even her life. AU. Pairings and additional info inside.
1. Hidden in Darkness

**Author's Notes: **This story snuck up on me and demanded to be written. It'll only be a few chapters long, though with a sequel. I write a lot on my other stories, I just haven't finished chapters yet - updates are coming, but for now enjoy this story. Also, though I have not marked this as a crossover, members of the NCIS DC team will make occasional appearances - though mostly Gibbs. This is more to do with the location setting than the story itself, therefore I do not feel it truly classifies as a crossover enough to warrant being placed in that section. The sequel of this story will be Densi, therefore mentions and suggestions of the pairing will also be shown in this fic.

**Warning**: This story contains frequent, though non-graphic, adult themes of rape, abuse, molestation, and other terrible crimes performed to or against children. There are various dark themes within this story of similar nature - be aware of that before you decide to read.

* * *

**~ Hidden in Darkness ~**

Bad guys were very fond of big, dark warehouses - Kensi realised the fact remained as true for Washington DC as it did for Los Angeles. She wasn't even supposed to be there, and yet she was. Kensi had travelled all the way across the country, using her collected vacation time and a permitted alias, to bust into an old warehouse very late on a Saturday afternoon.

'You ready?' A tanned Detective asked her, pressing his side to the wall in front of her.

'As I'll ever be.' Kensi said quietly, giving him the nod of approval.

Behind her were at least three others - each with their guns raised as well. Across the wide entrance to the warehouse was another line of law enforcers preparing to put their lives on the line for what they were about to do. They were all standing there because it was their duty and they'd been called out as back-up. Kensi was there because of the tanned man in front of her.

She always quipped that they were destined to be friends, as his name was the same as her star sign: Leo. He always laughed at her jokes, unlike her team back in LA. Kensi was rather fond of him, but purely in a platonic way. He had a lovely wife, and an even more wonderful pair of kids under the ages of seven. Kensi had met them once or twice, but that was at least a few years ago. She was across the country, preparing to breach a dangerous warehouse, for Leo. For the life-changing favour she owed him from years ago.

'On three.' Leo whispered.

He quickly checked his police vest was securely in place. He held up three fingers for everyone to see, and counted down slowly, while each gun-gripping law enforcer braced their composure.

In seconds, there was a loud noise as the two teams hurried into the darkened surroundings of the huge warehouse.

It wasn't as empty as the ones Kensi was used to searching; there were large wooden and metal crates, camouflage netting, stacks of cardboard boxes, and pieces of machinery everywhere. It was a near-blind journey through a maze of danger and uncertainty. There were about fifteen law enforcers there to help with the search for two twin teenagers, who were abducted several days ago, yet the rescue they were attempting was not authorised. There wasn't enough evidence to make a case, nor decent probable cause to arrest the predator they were all convinced was guilty – and every person there knew these circumstances well. They put their jobs on the line, just as Kensi did, and none of them would regret it.

Two innocent lives were at stake, and after the last three children to be taken were later found dead and heavily abused, no one was going to let the twins suffer the same fate just because they had to wait on a legal warrant.

Leo was leading the mission. He gave clear hand gestures to the others, indicating each to split up into small groups to cover more ground. The warehouse set fire to their instincts, and powered their adrenaline, but above all it was a place of intense fear. They couldn't see clearly; there were hazards all around them. If the psycho responsible was there he'd either attack them before they could work out where he was – or he'd panic and kill the twins.

Kensi turned a corner, glad to have Leo as her partner, and shuddered at the bad vibes she felt everywhere.

She'd seen a photo of the twins the day before, when she'd greeted Leo at the airport. They were fourteen; a boy and a girl. She pictured their faces while manoeuvring the maze of blackness, using their bright smiles and vibrant innocence to guide and motivation her through the fear that tried to suffocate her. It wasn't just fear for her career, and her life, but for their future. She'd barely been able to stomach the crime scene photos of what happened to the innocent children who couldn't be saved from the monster within the maze. Everyone was there to save the twins, and arrest Gale, but Kensi and Leo had other plans. They wanted more than anything to save the children, of course, yet they also hoped the monster would give them just enough cause to shoot him.

Kensi froze when Leo raised his hand suddenly, from what she could barely see the faded outline of in the darkened space, and halted. There was a sound behind a tall crate to their right. Footsteps, maybe, and breathing.

Carefully, Leo and Kensi made their way around a corner, trying to retain their determination. With every step they took, Kensi felt a cold chill spread through her. She knew it, as Leo surely did too; they were no longer searching through a maze – they were being hunted within a trap. Gale, the monster within, knew they'd entered his lair. He knew why they were there, and somehow he was aware that their entire plan was not officially legal.

Kensi couldn't understand, after many years as an NCIS Agent who had to stop bad guys all the time and witness a variety of horrible crimes, how she could be so sickened and afraid of just one man. Perhaps because in her mind he was no longer a man at all. The criminals who harm children were always regarded as the worse scum on the Earth, even to other criminals – Kensi never had so much understanding of that logic until then. It was undeniably clear to her; not as she anxiously rounded another corner of darkness, but when a near-silent cry came from an area several feet away - blocked by crates and netting.

Kensi and Leo had no time to react.

He'd taken a step towards the sound, and they didn't realise until too late that it had been a ploy to place reasonable distance between them. Kensi had never been so out of her depth – especially when someone grabbed her throat and hair from behind. By pulling her head back, and restricting her oxygen, the attacker was able to control the situation entirely. The others were too far away to be signalled for back-up. The only person Kensi had was Leo.

She trusted her friend enough to try to save her, but inside she was wishing Deeks was with her.

She grunted, and struggled, but dizziness fogged her brain. Kensi tried to breath properly, but it was a battle she had to put every ounce of energy into. Her gun slipped from her fingers, and clattered to the solid floor.

'Let her go!' Leo demanded, pointing his gun at the monster. 'And where are they?'

'Who?' The snarl in Kensi's ear made her want to throw up. She felt nauseous in his hold, and fought to free herself. He was impossibly strong, as if her repulsion of him gave Gale power.

She felt panic swell inside her, but Kensi was too stubborn to give in.

'Kenny and Claire.' Leo spoke the twin's names. 'Where are they? What did you do with them?' He shouted, fury etched into his entire form.

'Put your gun down.' Gale threatened, yanking Kensi backwards.

'Ugh!' She winced, and choked from the shifted force in her hair and throat. 'Shoot him.' She gasped to Leo.

'You'll kill her!' Gale stressed, shoving Kensi in front of him as a shield. 'Put it down!'

'Where are the kids?' Leo tried again. 'Tell me!'

'Dead.' Gale smirked, his eyes darting for a nearby escape route.

Kensi couldn't speak, but she growled in anger, and tried to think clearly enough to work out if she was still standing. She wore boots with slight heels, which she wanted to use to her advantage, but the dizziness in her head and the choke-hold she was in made it hard to even twitch her fingers.

No matter how furious and stubborn Kensi was, she simply couldn't win against the cloud in her mind that snuffed out all thought and strength she had. Her body slackened, losing its battle against an unstoppable force. The only thing that kept her from slipping into unconsciousness was when she was dropped to the cement floor – the jolt of it jerked her sense alive again. A gunshot rang out, though somehow muffled by all the clutter, and everything around her blurred. Laying on the dusty floor, trying to grasp her composure enough to reclaim her fallen gun, Kensi looked around and was aware of several things at once.

Firstly, there were distant sirens approaching the warehouse and Kensi couldn't figure out how it was possible to hear them.

Secondly, Leo made no effort to help her - he dashed off in the direction of two muffled voices nearby, inspired only to find and rescue the twins even if it meant leaving her alone.

And, thirdly, Kensi came to realise she was not alone at all.

Lights flickered around the maze just enough to illuminate a space underneath some nearby netting. She saw two pink and white shoes much too small for a teenager. A child considerably younger than fourteen was huddled in the shadows only feet from were Kensi lay on her side.

'Ugh, God.' Kensi gasped when she tried to move.

She felt her neck and body ache, but pushed through her own state of soreness as she had more important things to focus on. She exhaled and coughed, then crawled towards the netting.

'Hey.' She whispered. 'Hey, it's okay.'

The sirens, movement, yells, lights, and the entire world vanished from her awareness the moment Kensi pulled down the netting with as much force as she could muster. It revealed a little girl, who looked barely older than two, crouched fearfully against the side of a crate. She had smears of dirt, tear tracks, and blood on her face. Her brown hair was a tangled mess, and her eyes pooled with terror.

'Shh, it's okay.' Kensi tried to coax the girl closer; there was too much clutter around for Kensi to properly get to her. 'I'm with the police. I'm here to help you.'

A strange scent reached her nose as she moved closer still – it wasn't just urine, dirt, and blood, but something else. Something worrying. Kensi couldn't remember the name of it, only that it was flammable and could cause a lot of health problems if not removed from contact with the skin. As a flicker of brightness flashed over the area, Kensi realised the girl was sitting in the oily substance, and the liquid dripped down her thin dress.

'I'm not going to hurt you.' Kensi promised. 'But we need to get you out of here, okay?'

The girl couldn't seem to move; too overtaken by terror. She watched Kensi carefully, though, and heard every word spoken. Slowly, with shaking hands, the child reached desperately for Kensi.

Nudging more boxes aside, Kensi managed to sit upright enough to lean leaned towards the little girl. Time felt to slow ,as she tried really hard not to scare the child. When she made contact with the cold skin of the too-thin girl, Kensi instantly wanted to shoot every person who ever hurt a child like that.

Gently, she lifted the girl into her arms - and felt tiny hands grip around her neck in desperation for something safe to hold onto. Kensi placed a hand under the girl, and one against her back, and tried to ignore the stench burning her nose. Tears were in her eyes, as Kensi held the fragile form in her arms. They'd had no idea the girl was even there – if Gale hadn't attacked her or Kensi hadn't dropped to the floor, they might never have known until it was too late.

A sniffle was heard in her ear, and Kensi fought to keep her own composure. A spark of adrenaline pumped through her again, upon hearing the sirens and yells nearby. She stepped over the blood-pooling form of Gale, and looked around to try to recall the way out.

'We found them!' Leo rushed into view, startling the girl more than Kensi. 'They're alive. They-' He stopped, staring at the tiny form in Kensi's arms.

'We didn't even see her.' Kensi said, furious at herself.

She carefully clutched the girl close to her, feeling every wave of emotion hitting her. Her agent mind also warned Kensi she had to get the substance off them both – it was highly dangerous.

'The police are here. And my boss.' Leo swallowed, looking around anxiously. 'There's a recently abandoned office next door. You have to get out of here - if they know about her...'

'Who is she?' Kensi realised Leo knew something she didn't.

'I don't know her name. I've seen her picture, though no one is really looking for her anymore. Her father is a lawyer, and abusive, but we have no proof. Her mother was killed last week, and she has no one else. She'll go back to him. You can't let them have her.'

Nothing was more important to Kensi in that moment - not her job, her friends, or even her life. All she knew was the tiny life in her arms was being threatened in every way possible. She couldn't even let her go if she'd tried. Kensi made a choice - it went against everything, and she didn't care.

'Go.' Leo pointed in a direction. He also bent and grabbed her gun, returning it to her holster for her. 'Get her out. Take her to Pam – she's working today. She'll keep it a secret. I can't do much more than that, but-'

'I understand.' Kensi nodded. 'Thanks.'

Sounds and lights were closing in.

Kensi held the child closer to her, and hurried through another mass of darkened space. Netting almost tripped her, and crates nearby narrowly blocked her escape plan, but eventually she found a space of wall with a door. Without thinking, she carefully held the child clinging to her like a little monkey, and yanked the door open. Whiteness blinded her for a moment, though mostly from streetlights and in attempt to adjust from the blackness of the warehouse. She crossed a patch of dirt and hurried towards a nearby building.

Kensi went inside, surprised it was unlocked, and soon realised why.

Desks, chairs, and papers littered the space around her. Kensi heard cars and voices outside – prompting her to hurry forward in search of a bathroom. She climbed stairs until she found a corridor with a bigger office. As she'd suspected; it had its own bathroom. Kensi shut the door and was glad there was enough light streaming through the white curtains to enable her to see what she was doing. The child in her arms shook with fear, and tried not to cry, but Kensi had little time to comfort her.

'Sweetheart, you've got some really bad oil on you.' Kensi placed the girl on a counter across from a wall-less shower. 'I need to get it off, okay?'

The child could still hardly move. Kensi was really worried, and didn't want to have to do it, but she had to – it was critical that she remove the liquid now or neither of them would make it as far as the hospital. She shed her own vest, tossing it to the paper-littered floor, and kicked off her shoes. Kensi tried to remove the girl's faded purple dress, thinking kids that young weren't very shy about those things, but her movements were met with a violent reaction.

'NO!' The girl screamed, which was miraculously drowned out by the commotion outside. She fought Kensi with as much strength she had; Kensi barely felt the fists to her face, but was cautious to avoid being kicked in the stomach.

Coldness filled Kensi once again.

It wasn't her usual crime or experience, but Kensi was sure there was only a few reasons a little girl could be that terrified of being undressed. However, she still didn't have time to assure the girl she wasn't going to be hurt. Kensi looked at the lights against the curtain, then over at the shower, and knew she had to get out as soon as possible.

'Okay.' Kensi sighed. 'Okay. It's okay. I'm just going to get this oil off us, alright?'

She scooped the struggling girl into her arms and walked to the shower. Turning the taps, thankful the water was still operational, Kensi held the girl close as she stood them under the steam of barely-warm water. She could feel the oil and grime sliding down her form. The girl whimpered, but didn't move, as her hair stuck to her face. The gush of water drenched through their clothes and puddled the floor, though the pulse wasn't strong enough to make much of a sound beyond the bathroom. Kensi coughed, and made sure they weren't going to drown, but refused to move until she was sure the substance was considerably washed away.

Kensi wished she could wash away all the pain and filth of that night.

When the water became colder, Kensi knew they couldn't stand underneath it any longer. She turned the taps to stop the flow of water, and stepped out of the puddle. The girl continued to cling to her, despite her fear and confusion. Kensi looked around for something to dry or warm them, but nothing proved useful. She placed the child on the counter again, and grabbed her vest from the floor. It wasn't much, as she placed it over the girl in effort to give her something dry, but it would have to do for now.

Kensi shivered, and retrieved the girl.

Heading out of the bathroom, and trailing water on the floor, Kensi begun a hurried search through the office and nearby cubicles. She found some _"lost and found"_ storages, as well as a few discarded items left behind from whatever had rendered the office building into a state of abandonment. With a sweater that would have fit Nell, and a handful of other random items, Kensi wasted no time sitting the girl on a desk. She left the vest on and covered it with the sweater. The child was so young the shirt was longer than her dress. Kensi pulled a jacket over her own shoulders, then placed a beanie on the girl's head.

'I'm going to take you some-place safe, I promise.' Kensi said, lifting the child into her arms again.

She worried about being caught, and knew it was time to leave. It was annoying to run down so many stairs, as carefully as possible, while still being being wet. She carried the girl protectively close, and only slowed when she found a back door. Carefully checking there weren't any police outside, Kensi left the building and made her way towards the lights of the city. It wasn't far, but she was on edge the entire time.

The night air cooled their damp skin, and she worried about all the things that could go wrong.

Hailing a cab, Kensi had never felt so relieved to see one. She got into the back seat, uttering her request for the hospital, and exhaled. The girl was still on her lap, and wasn't letting go of her grip around Kensi's neck.

The drive was short. Kensi paid the driver and got out, and was glad she still had everything she needed with her. Hurrying inside, Kensi did her best to look calm. It didn't matter either way – being soaked in water caught a lot of attention from nearby nurses.

'We're fine.' Kensi dismissed a nurse, when she headed for the lobby counter. 'We had an incident of unplanned swimming.' She lied, hoping no one would make a fuss.

'Can I help you?' The lady at the counter asked, looking worriedly at the terrified little girl dressed in an adult's sweater.

'Could you please page Dr Pamela Bryce?' Kensi requested. 'Tell her Kensi is here to see her, and it's urgent.'

'Ma'am, I can't-'

'I have a badge. Please don't make me get it.' Kensi warned. 'I'm armed too.'

Actually, she didn't have her badge or NCIS ID at all. She'd left it behind in her motel room. She'd travelled under an alias, which also came with a credit card and anything else necessary to make anyone believe she was indeed Kensi Wells. Though her gun was holstered at her side, Kensi also had no intention to use it with such a fragile child in her arms.

The lady decided to page the doctor, which everyone was thankful for. Pamela arrived a very short time later, and ushered Kensi down the hall into an office.

'Leo called me.' The caramel-skinned woman said. 'This is Joanna?'

'Joanna.' Kensi repeated the name, glad to finally know it. 'Yeah. Could you check she's okay? Do you have any spare clothes?'

'There's a thrift store across the road.' Pamela said. She walked to the door called for someone who soon joined them. 'This is Sandy. She specialises in these cases. She'll take good care of your daughter.'

Kensi opened her mouth to question the title, then quickly remembered everything about her visit was quite illegal. She put on her best motherly mask and reluctantly handed the girl to the blonde nurse.

The child started to cry, but the pair were gone before Kensi could change her mind.

'It's good to see you again, Kensi.' Pamela said, offering her a white towel from nearby. 'I wish it was under better circumstances.'

'Yeah, Pam, same.' Kensi sighed nervously. She rubbed her hair with the towel, but knew it wouldn't do much for her clothes. 'Have you heard from Leo?'

'He's at the station.' Pamela sighed. 'I don't know much. They're still searching the warehouse, though, which was finally allowed by his boss. They've found five bodies so far - all children between the ages eight and eleven.'

A sadness filled the silence of the room while they waited. Kensi wanted to kick something, or shoot someone, but she was too exhausted to move from the seat she'd unknowingly dropped into.

'Are you okay?' Pamela came closer, reaching to gently touch Kensi's neck. 'There's substantial bruising on your neck.'

'I'm fine.' Kensi shrugged her off. 'What am I supposed to do now?'

'I don't know.' Pamela sighed. 'Leo suggested you lay low for a while. My husband didn't think this through, I know. It's a brave thing you're doing for her, Kensi.'

'Someone has to.' Kensi sighed.

'Do you have insurance?'

'For what? Oh.' Kensi frowned, and reached to her back jeans pocket for her wallet. She flipped through the contents, belonging to her alias, and was relieved to see she had full medical insurance and benefits. 'Yeah.'

Pamela didn't say anything else, but Kensi was thinking it. The idea to get Joanna out of the warehouse, and make sure she didn't go back to an abuser, was noble at first - but the plan now crumbled at their feet. It was, essentially, a kidnapping. Kensi also had nowhere to go, and no way of explaining Joanna's presence. She couldn't get the girl to Los Angeles without raising suspicion. She didn't even want to risk returning to her motel room yet.

She had to come up with a plan, and fast.

'I'll be right back.' Kensi promised and left the room. She wandered down a corridor until she found an empty waiting area. Getting out her phone, she dialled a familiar number – waiting with bated breath.

'Hello?'

'Nell!' Kensi said, relieved. She could tell by the typing in the background that Nell was still at work. 'I need a huge favour, but you have to swear not to tell anyone. I need some updates to my alias, Kensi Wells.'

'Okay.' Nell said after a moment. 'What updates?'

'I need an addition. A three-year-old daughter, Jody Wells.' Kensi said, looking around warily. 'With full medical benefits, and everything you can think of that will help.'

'What?'

'Nell, I can't explain right now. It's important.' Kensi pressed. 'You'd be saving the life of a little girl who has been through so much already. I need you to help me with this.'

'Okay.' Nell said with determination. 'Tell me everything you need, and I'll add it to your alias.'

'Thanks, Nell.' Kensi exhaled. 'I owe you one. Oh, and I'll also need the address for the safe house Hetty mentioned last month – the one in DC.'

'Is everything okay?' Nell worried.

'Let's just say my travel plans hit a little bump in the road.' Kensi said. 'I just need to buy some time so I can sort things out. Nothing to worry about - I just can't use my real name.'

'Alright. I'll see what I can do.'

* * *

Pamela was called to help with an emergency, so Kensi moved to a general waiting room nearby. She was anxious and paranoid, but managed to channel her undercover skills enough to look like a worried mother rather than the kidnapper she technically was.

When Sandy finally returned, Kensi jumped up from her seat and rushed over. She'd already filled out the necessary forms – and each second she had written something, Kensi mentally thanked Nell for her support.

'How is she?' Kensi asked, accepting Joanna – no, Jody – back into her arms.

'Dr Bryce told me she may have been raped, or abused, while she was with your ex-fiance?' Sandy asked sadly.

'Uh, yeah.' Kensi quickly pooled her features. 'Was she?'

'She's suffering from malnutrition, so you'll need to make sure she gets solid meals each day to get her back to average.' Sandy summarised. 'She's got some bruising, but she wasn't raped. She'd had a few broken bones that have healed in the past six months.'

Kensi listened to the listings of what Jody had gone through physically, though it was mentally she was most worried about. Having confirmed the girl was healthy enough to take "home", Kensi distanced herself from further advice from the nurse. She was a bit rude about the abrupt dismissal, but Kensi walked away to leave the hospital.

She simply didn't have time to deal with anyone else unless it was absolutely necessary.

Stepping outside, Kensi sought the thrift store Pamela had mentioned. There were bags outside, which Kensi checked the contents of before snatching the bag. Calling for a cab, Kensi gave the street address, and shifted Jody on her lap during the ride. Her skin was feeling itchy, from the oil she hadn't been able to completely remove. Jody was still dressed in the same clothes she'd arrived at the hospital in, and Kensi knew the first thing they needed was a real shower.

When she got out of the cab, and made her way along the street to the safe house Nell had given her the address of, Kensi begun to feel her own tiredness sneak up on her. She carried Jody up the driveway and found the hidden key. Stepping inside, Kensi locked the front door then switched on the hall light. The house wasn't very big, but she barely took any notice as she made her way across the room to the main bedroom.

Dropping one of the bags she'd collected from the thrift store, Kensi carried Jody into the bathroom.

Jody made a whine of protest when she was placed on the counter beside the sink. She saw the bath and knew she'd have to get undressed. The girl's wide eyes would have won Kensi over, if it wasn't so critically important for the girl to have the oil removed and to change into something more comfortable. Kensi wondered why the nurse hadn't commented on the oil, though she could hardly smell or see it herself now because it had soaked through the clothes.

Deciding to worry about those things later, Kensi tried to think of a plan of action.

'Sweetheart, I know you don't want to have a bath.' Kensi worried.

She was certain it wasn't normal for a child so young to not want to take her clothes off, beyond the usual stubbornness. Jody was completely terrified of the idea; beyond rational thought or reluctance.

'No!'

'I know.' Kensi sighed. 'You've still got oil on you. If we don't wash it all off, it can hurt your skin. It can make you very sick. I promise, I'll fill up the bath with warm water and you can hop straight in, okay? We'll wash it off, then you can get out and change into some pretty pyjamas.' Kensi pointed to the bag on the bed.

Jody wasn't convinced. She didn't trust Kensi and struggled against her attempts to remove even the large sweater she wore. Kensi stressed, but knew she had little choice. Trust would have to come later – the oil was dangerous and needed to be removed entirely.

'I'm sorry.' Kensi said, tears in her eyes at Jody's turmoil. 'I have to wash the oil off. I'm not going to hurt you, okay? You have to have a bath, though.'

Jody yelled, and struggled, but ultimately Kensi had to do what was necessary.

She pulled the sweater off, then the vest. Kensi dumped them on the floor and tried to be as gentle as she could. Jody started screaming and fighting. Kensi almost broke down entirely, feeling as if she was somehow betraying the little girl and doing something bad. Her knowledge of the oil's danger was too high, though, and she managed to get through the undressing incident without giving in.

She put Jody on the floor, and held onto the child's hand so the little girl couldn't run away. Kensi felt awful, but walked to the bath and poured in warm water with shampoo bubbles. She lifted Jody into the bath, and exhaled with relief when the girl just sat there.

She tried to be as quick, yet careful, as possible. Jody sniffled and tears trailed down her cheeks, but she stayed still enough for Kensi to wash off the substance. She also washed the girl's hair, realising it was a lighter shade of brown than initially believed. There were a number of noticeable bruises on the tiny form, but Kensi struggled to ignore them other than being extra careful while washing Jody. Once done, she grabbed a blue towel from a nearby cupboard and lifted the child out. She wrapped the girl up, hoping to give her some sense of warmth and safety, as she dried her clean.

The girl was considerably more co-operative when Kensi helped her dress into a set of pink pyjama pants and shirt. She still squirmed to get away from Kensi, but wasn't screaming or kicking.

Kensi drained the bath, and was barely quick enough to scoop Jody up around the middle before the girl tried to run away. It was then she realised how hard it was going to be. She didn't even know what she was doing – how long would she be looking after Jody? What should she do next? Kensi was at a loss, but she understood how damaged Jody might be mentally. The girl was still completely terrified, and Kensi could hardly blame her – though it made the situation a lot more difficult.

Remembering the nurse saying Jody lacked nutrition, and already being aware of the girl's skinny figure, Kensi carried Jody into the main room. She sought the kitchen, and frowned distastefully at it. Kensi Blye did not cook, but she had to find something suitably filling and healthy for Jody to eat. Worry settled in again, as Kensi didn't even know what a kid Jody's age ate.

The child continued to squirm in her arms. Kensi balanced Jody against her hip, and was stressing about her ability to get through the night; especially when the girl started to cry.

'Hey, Honey - it's okay.' Kensi tried to soothe her, with little success. 'Are you hungry? I'm going to get you something to eat, okay? What do you like to eat?'

It didn't work. Jody continued to cry, tears sliding down her cheeks, and didn't even hear Kensi's words.

She carried the girl across the room to the sofa, sitting her on it so she could look directly at Jody's face. Kensi had no clue what to do. She wanted to call someone - like Sam who had kids of his own, or Deeks who just naturally had a way with them. Jody's face turned red and her tears kept falling. Kensi knew she had to do something, but was at loss to why Jody was even upset.

She knew the girl was scared, yet beyond that she wasn't sure.

'Okay. Honey, I know it's scary but you're safe here.' Kensi tried, leaning closer to rub the girl's arms. Sighing, she got up and sat beside Jody. 'You're okay; you're safe now. I won't ever hurt you, I promise. I'll keep you safe.'

The image of Jody crouched in the dark, sitting in oil and urine, loomed into Kensi's mind. Tears sprung to her own eyes, as she struggled not to imagine what such a little girl had gone through. Her heart pounding in her chest, Kensi took a more direct approach. She stood and picked Jody up, pulling her close - not to hold her, but to cuddle the little girl as warmly as she could. She hushed soothing tones, and rubbed Jody's back, until the sobs subsided.

Small hands curled around Kensi's neck, and both exhaled with relief. Kensi placed a kiss to Jody's hair, and walked back to the kitchen.

She sat the girl on the kitchen counter, where the child remained to watch her. Kensi raided the cupboards and fridge, but the safe house was only stocked with non-perishable food so it could be used whenever needed yet also left for long periods of time without being occupied. She found a box of snicker-doodles, Granola bars, long-life milk, packets of dry pasta, cans of spaghetti o's, lentils flour, spices, tins of coffee, packets of rice, bottles of sauce, and more cans of various things like fruit, stew, vegetables, etc.

Kensi exhaled with dread, looking over the options, and for the first time truly wished she had all the cooking skills her mother did. Or Deeks did. She wondered if even Callen could cook better than her.

Looking around the open door of the pantry, Kensi stared back at Jody and knew the girl had to eat something – snicker-doodles just won't cut it. Reaching in, she grabbed some cans and placed them on the counter beside the girl.

Jody looked curiously at them, which gave Kensi hope for a successful meal.

'Do you like spaghetti o's?' Kensi asked.

Jody looked at the picture on the can, then shrugged.

'Apples?' Kensi placed a can of apple slices in front of the girl, watching carefully for a reaction. She got a slight nod in response. 'Okay. Okay, good.' Kensi exhaled.

She rummaged through a drawer for a can opener, then froze when she saw suddenly movement. Jody inched back on the counter, eyeing the drawer of knives and other cutlery in fear.

'Sorry.' Kensi said, snatching the can opener quickly and slowly shut the drawer. 'I just need something to help to open the can.' She explained.

Jody remained quiet, still watching Kensi carefully. She looked at the nervously patient child seated beside her, and wondered if Leo and Pamela got her confused with another girl; Jody was so small it seemed impossible for her to be three-years-old.

Kensi opened the cans and placed some spaghetti o's into one bowl, and apples into another. She was about to put them on the table when Kensi realised Jody wouldn't be able to reach it.

'Here you go.' Kensi pushed the bowls towards Jody, and dropped a spoon into each. 'Eat whichever one you want – as much you want.'

Jody looked at the food and squirmed. She licked her lips, and peered uncertainly at Kensi; she was clearly hungry, but afraid.

'It's okay. It's for you.' Kensi encouraged. 'Are you hungry? It's okay, go ahead.'

Slowly, with her eyes firmly set on Kensi, Jody reached for the nearest spoon. Scooping some spaghetti, she raised the spoon to her mouth, and paused again. Kensi nodded and smiled, so Jody put the spoon shakily into her mouth.

'Yum.' Jody said, going for another spoonful.

'Would you rather I heat it up, if it's cold?' Kensi wondered, unsure.

Jody grabbed the bowl with her free hand, worried it would be taken away from her. She waited until Kensi calmed and encouraged her to eat some more, then Jody went for another mouthful.

Kensi leaned against the pantry door with relief, watching as Jody ate, and gave the girl some space. She was worried about doing the wrong thing, and it was harder when Kensi didn't even know how to look after children in general – but Jody was eating, so that was a good sign Kensi hadn't messed things up entirely yet.

Jody moved on to try the apples, after checking with Kensi that it was still hers as well, while Kensi slowly and quietly searched for some napkins. Returning to where Jody sat, Kensi smiled a little at the sauce-smudged face that looked gratefully up at her. Jody smiled back, and checked what Kensi had in her hands.

Kensi made sure not to scare her, by using slow and deliberate motions, as she dampened the napkins and wiped the smears from Jody's cheeks and mouth.

'Are you finished?'

Jody nodded, and showed her emotional progress by raising her arms expectantly towards Kensi.

She lifted the girl into her arms and held her close, feeling a bond forming already and hoped she wouldn't let Jody down. Kensi put the bowls and spoons into the sink, and the empty cans in the bin, then carried Jody back to the main bedroom.

'No bath.' Jody squirmed, trying to wriggle out of Kensi's grip.

'No, no more bath tonight.' Kensi assured her, though the girl continue to struggle.

She looked over at the bedside table and was surprised by how much time had passed since she'd joined Leo in busting into the warehouse. The images of the maze of darkness flooded back, forcing Kensi to quickly distract herself.

She shut the bedroom door, worried Jody might run off, and did the same for the bathroom. Kensi turned on each bedside lamp, and placed Jody on the large bed. Kensi sat on her usual side, and looked over at the girl.

Jody inched away from her, her green eyes wide with fear, but didn't try to flee.

'I'm tired. Are you?' Kensi scratched at her arms and felt a sting.

Her clothes were dry, but she knew there were still traces of the oil on her skin underneath. She had to get Jody to sleep, or else she couldn't shower. Her own health had been in the back of her mind, until Kensi begun to worry about the spreading irritation she was feeling down her arms and over her back.

She really hoped Jody would fall asleep soon so Kensi could sneak off to shower, but the little girl didn't look like she was planning to even lay down.

'Do you remember the bad oil?' Kensi asked her, to which Jody warily nodded. 'I've still got it on me. I need to have a bath. Me, not you.' She added quickly when Jody moved further away.

Kensi got up and walked to the bag from the thrift store, finding a pair of running pants and a plain shirt she could wear to sleep. She looked back at Jody, conflicted, but decided she had to get the oil off. She didn't know enough about what it could do; she made a mental note to pay more attention to Nell and Eric when they were explaining those sort of things.

'I'm going to have a shower.' Kensi explained to Jody as clearly as she could. 'I'll leave the door open. Will you promise to sit right here until I'm finished?'

Jody nodded.

Kensi hoped it was the right choice to leave the little girl there. She just couldn't risk it any longer; her skin felt to be burning now. Kensi headed into the bathroom and stripped. She placed her gun, wallet, phone, and other bits and pieces on top of the linen closet – just to be safe. Stepping into the water, Kensi winced at the contact of cool liquid against her sore skin. She saw a raw-looking rash on her left forearm, but otherwise her skin merely felt worse than it looked.

Kensi leaned against the side wall of the shower, underneath the shower-head, to check Jody was still sitting on the bed. It was a relief each time to see Jody staring in the direction of the bathroom; she hadn't moved an inch.

Kensi used more soap than necessary, in hope of speeding up the process of removing the substance from her skin, then rinsed, and checked Jody again. The girl had shifted this time, but only to lay down.

Finally, the little girl was relaxed enough to consider sleeping.

Kensi quickly dried and dressed, shuddered at the idea of wearing someone else's clothes, then wandered back to the bedroom. She'd retrieved her items from the linen cupboard, and was pleased to notice a locked drawer beside the bed - with the key included. Kensi locked up her gun and wallet, but left the phone in close reach on her side of the bed. Sitting beside Jody, Kensi looked to see the girl was watching her anxiously.

This time, the fear in her eyes wasn't directed at Kensi.

'I'm going to be right here.' Kensi whispered, laying beside her with plenty of space between them. 'I'll keep you safe, okay? No one can hurt you anymore, sweetheart. No one, you hear me?'

'Kay.' Jody muttered, letting her eyes close as she yawned into her hand. She didn't even flinch when Kensi reached over to lightly tug the blankets from underneath her.

Kensi draped them over the three-year-old's form, and watched until she was certain Jody was asleep. Carefully, Kensi got up and hurried to the kitchen. Feeling as though she was starving within an inch of her life, Kensi went on another raid through the pantry. This time, the snicker-doodles looked like the perfect meal – along with various other items that didn't come in a can. She ate them quickly, almost choking in the progress, and returned to the bedroom.

Jody looked extraordinarily peaceful when she slept.

It made Kensi incredibly sad to her, though she felt honoured that Jody trusted her enough to sleep with her so close. A surge of protectiveness washed through Kensi again. She walked to the other side of the bed, and sat on the floor beside where Jody slept. She knew she'd be creeped out if someone did it to her, but Kensi wanted to make sure Jody was safe all night.

She sat there, watching the steady breathing of the three-year-old, for over an hour before Kensi's own exhaustion prevailed upon her.

Sluggishly, on the verge of passing out, Kensi walked around the bed and lightly dropped onto her back. Yawning, Kensi rolled over to face Jody and left the lamps on. The last thing she wanted was for the little girl to wake in the dark and be reminded of such a horrible day. Kensi had no idea what to do next, but for now she was content to at least give Jody somewhere safe and comfortable to sleep for the night. It was the only thought which allowed Kensi to close her own eyes in favour of her own degree of much-needed rest.


	2. Necessary Action

**Author's Notes: **Thank you to every person who has reviewed, read, followed, and favourited this story so far - I'm so grateful! To those who gave feedback - you're awesome. Also, thanks to my friend G. Enjoy!

* * *

**~ Necessary Action ~**

Kensi abruptly opened her eyes, with her heart pounding in her chest, as she reminded herself it was just a nightmare. The cries and screams of children in dark spaces wasn't really a figment of her imagination, but she was out of the warehouse now. She wasn't responsible for the bad things that happened, though Kensi didn't feel very reassured by her mental lecture.

Sighing, Kensi rubbed her face with her left hand, and realised her right arm was weighted down.

It was still the early hours of the morning, but the lamps remained on all night so she was able to easily discern the tiny form cuddled securely to her side. Jody had fallen asleep as far away from Kensi as possible, but now she couldn't be further pressed against Kensi if she'd tried.

A smile broke over Kensi's lips; the sight of the adorable little girl curled against her arm was enough to ebb away the darkness of her mind.

Careful not to wake the child, Kensi blindly reached for her phone. The screen flickered on, and Kensi saw she'd missed a few texts. Most of them were from Deeks, of course. There was also one from Leo, though Kensi decided to deal with it later. Feeling unable to leave the bed for Jody's sake, Kensi opened her messages to see what Deeks had to say. Mostly he asked where she was, and joked about how much she must be missing him.

She rolled her eyes, though with a smile, and tapped out a reply.

_~ None of your business, Shaggy. Don't worry, I'm still in the US. No Hawaii this time. You up yet, Surfer Boy?_

Kensi doubted he would be. The sun was only just starting to light the horizon outside her window, from what she could see, and DC was three hours ahead of LA. Placing her phone back on the bedside table, Kensi returned her attention to the little girl she was already becoming fond of. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea to bond with Jody or not, since she had no idea how long she'd be looking after the girl, but Kensi knew the connection they were forming was rather unavoidable.

She also needed Jody to trust her, otherwise protecting her was going to be a lot harder and Kensi didn't want to worry every five minutes that Jody was going to take off running. She didn't know how fast three-year-olds were, nor did Kensi intend to find out.

Regardless of her own paranoia, Kensi knew they had to leave the safe house that morning. She needed to retrieve her clothes and badge from the motel. Just as importantly, Jody needed clothes of her own – plus, they had to get some real groceries to avoid another desperate pantry raid. Kensi was content to live off snicker-doodles, if it weren't for the fact she'd eaten most of them the night before.

Jody, however, couldn't live off canned apples every day.

Feeling the child wriggle beside her, accompanied by a low groan, Kensi realised she wasn't alone in her nightmares. It made her feel worse; Kensi would rather endure all the nightmares, even if it only spared Jody one night's sleep. She leaned to wake the girl, but Jody turned her head and stared up at her saviour with sad, green eyes. Kensi previously assumed Jody had instinctively moved closer to her in the night, but when the girl didn't pull away – Kensi realised Jody actually sought her comfort. It was a very reassuring sign.

'Morning, Honey.' Kensi smiled, trying to be a friendly as possible. 'Are you hungry?'

Jody nodded, then raised her small hands to rub the sleep from her eyes. She remained close to Kensi, and only moved when Kensi herself got out of bed. Jody crawled to the edge, and reached for Kensi in silent pleading to be picked up.

Feeling relieved by the new-found trust, Kensi obliged. Jody sucked on her thumb, while loosely wrapping her free hand around Kensi's neck; she felt safe and content enough to simply be held. It was a big improvement from the day before, though Kensi couldn't help worrying it wasn't going to last.

'How about we go out for breakfast?' Kensi offered casually

There wasn't really a choice in the matter. They had cereal, but no milk. There weren't any eggs, meat, or otherwise either. The best they'd have for breakfast would be canned peaches. Kensi did not think anything from a can could ever resemble a real breakfast.

'We're in our pyjamas, though.' Kensi said, trying to remain calm and reassuring. She attempted to make sure nothing was a big deal, while dreading another undressing incident. 'Let's have a look in this bag, okay?'

Kensi placed Jody on her hip, as she crouched towards the thrift bag. She sorted through some of the items, and kept an eye on Jody. The girl was interested, though she merely watched as Kensi picked out a pair of blue shorts and a yellow shirt. Kensi could tell why someone was giving the clothes away – they weren't exactly new, but still in good condition, though the designs were rather awful.

She fished out a pair of faded, slightly torn jeans and a plain shirt for herself.

Kensi placed Jody on the bed and braced herself. She showed the girl each piece of clothing, and made plenty of hand gestures regarding the changing of clothes. Jody continued to suck her thumb, though her eyes were worried and hesitant.

'We'd look a bit silly walking around in our pyjamas, wouldn't we?' Kensi joked, carefully moving to slip one of Jody's arms out of her pink sleeping shirt.

The girl squirmed and made a noise of protest, but didn't try to escape. Kensi gently looped the other arm through the sleeve, having gently tugged Jody's hand away from her mouth, then quickly slipped the shirt off her head. Kensi replaced it with the yellow day shirt, and exhaled with relief.

The pants were trickier.

Jody twisted away and tried to escape, but Kensi kindly brought her back and waited for the girl to calm before she made a second attempt to get her dressed. It took almost half an hour to change the child's outfit; Kensi vaguely wondered where all her patience had come from. Adding worn socks, and slightly tattered white shoes, to Jody's feet were easy enough - while the girl resumed her thumb-sucking.

Kensi left Jody on the bed for a moment, so she could change in the bathroom and brush her teeth. Standing in front of the mirror, Kensi cringed at the blackness forming around her neck. She hadn't thought Gale's grip was quite as rough, yet the bruising looked absolutely awful. Kensi tenderly touched it, surprised it only hurt a little when she put pressure on the marked area, and decided her neck must be more receptive to bruising than the rest of her body. She was glad her shirt had a high collar, to better hide the nasty colouring and enable her to avoid any odd stares or comments.

Kensi sighed, and peered over at the waiting girl still seated on the edge of the bed. She worried about taking her out, but knew it was unavoidable. Kensi inhaled a deep breath, and scooped the child into her arms again.

Kensi gathered her phone, gun, and wallet, then made her way into the main room with Jody secured against her hip. The girl didn't pay much attention to anything, just sucked her thumb and draped her arm over Kensi's shoulder. Kensi accepted that, and only hoped she could carry the weight of a kid against her side all day.

'Ready?' Kensi asked, moving to leave the house.

She locked the front door and ventured down the driveway. The neighbourhood was rather quiet, though the sun had properly risen by now, and few cars drove nearby. She'd spotted a shopping mall during the drive in the cab the night before - since she didn't have a rental car, Kensi decided to walk. It was only across a couple of streets; she saw no point in spending money to hire a cab when it would take more time waiting for one than it would to walk the distance.

Jody remained quiet in her arms, though that wasn't unusual. Kensi wondered about the communication skills of a three-year-old, and if the girl was supposed to be talking or if relative quietness was normal. She had no idea; Kensi's knowledge of kids was even less than her knowledge of cooking – both which she had no useful skills or experience with.

Though it was early in the morning in Washington, the mall was still considerably packed for a Sunday. Kensi wasn't sure if that was to be expected or not, as her Sundays usually had her planted in front of the television or working when she'd rather be planted in front of the television.

Kensi decided to get Jody some belongings first. She'd planned on clothes, but quickly changed her mind when they wandered by various toy stores – Kensi felt ashamed to only then realise Jody really had nothing with her. The little girl had no clothes of her own, no toys, and no family.

Kensi intended to change that.

'Let's go in here.' She said, unsure why she felt the need to voice everything they did when Jody was paying enough attention to see where they were going.

Kensi felt a shift in the little girl's interest when they were surrounded by nearly every toy imaginable. Even Kensi was tempted by the fluffy-looking bunnies and brightly-coloured wooden trains. She paid close attention to Jody's expression, when the girl wasn't constantly swerving to look around. Kensi wandered down the isle Jody seemed most intrigued by, and was glad to observe the shelves upon shelves of stuffed toys all around them.

Deciding she really did need to know how much progress she was making with Jody, Kensi took the risk of putting the girl on the floor. Jody stood close to her, and Kensi instantly held the girl's hand. The other was removed from her mouth, as Jody let Kensi lead her by some dragons and dinosaurs.

'Do you see something you like?' Kensi asked, after a while of looking around. Jody shyly nodded her head. 'Would you like to have one?'

'Yup.' Jody answered, inclining her head again. Her eyes were widely hopeful, though she made no move to actually choose a toy. She hesitantly watched Kensi, until she was encouraged to approach the shelf.

'Which one would you like?' Kensi asked.

It wasn't her money being spent, after all, though she knew better than to raise any pricey red flags through her alias. Hetty would not be pleased, and Kensi would surely have to have the unpleasant moment of trying to explain why she was buying toys for a three-year-old.

'Tha one!' Jody pointed at a higher shelf, indicating to a pink bear with a heart outlined on its chest.

Kensi reached for the stuffed toy and admired how soft it was. There was a purple bow around its neck, and it was the perfect size for Jody's small arms to wrap around. She offered the girl the bear, and smiled at the enlightenment filling the girl's usually sad eyes. Jody squished the bear to her chest in a loving hug, and cradled it slightly. She ran to Kensi and wrapped her arms around her legs with gratitude.

The girl insisted on being picked up, but Kensi didn't allow it this time.

'Let's keep looking around, okay?' Kensi tried to distract her. 'How about some books? Or...stuff?' She had no idea what to buy Jody, but knew a bear wasn't going to be enough. Kids liked to draw, she remembered, so headed for the arts and craft section. Her grip on Jody's hand slackened a little while they walked around the store, as Jody was more than willing to keep close to Kensi's side.

~ P ~

It took a while to make the selections, but soon Kensi had a bag full of toys and activities for Jody to play with.

Kensi decided it was time to have breakfast, and made her way to the food court. Jody clutched her pink bear with enough grip to suffocate a hamster, and was content to remain beside Kensi until they reached the food court. There were people everywhere, and Jody 's breathing became irregular as panic began to swarm her senses. Kensi, seeing a disaster about to happen, bent to lift the child protectively into her arms.

Jody calmed, and they were able to proceed.

Kensi ended up buying them sandwiches. It wasn't the ideal breakfast, but she wasn't in the mood to debate over which food was good or bad for a malnourished three-year-old. Jody didn't mind, though she picked at her bread and only ate parts of the sandwich. Kensi didn't care about any of the mess the girl made, from where she sat on Kensi's lap - as long as Jody ate something.

After sandwiches and juice for Jody, and lots of coffee for Kensi, the pair resumed their shopping. Kensi carried Jody for a while longer, but put her down again when they shopped for clothes. She tried to encourage Jody's freedom to pick the sort of clothes the little girl liked, but Jody was adamant to be picked up without any interest in the racks of dresses or jackets around them.

After some struggle, Kensi simply carried Jody around the store and selected the clothes for her. Jody didn't care either way, so Kensi merely tried to find practical yet pretty clothes she hoped would fit. She'd tried to measure them correctly by placing them against Jody, such as trying to check shirt sleeves against her arms, but the girl fussed and squirmed every time.

It took Kensi over two hours to shop for clothes.

She thought Jody would have gotten bored, but after everything the girl had been through Jody was content just be held in a non-dark place with someone who didn't hurt her. Kensi tried to be thankful for the lack of drama, but felt guilty each time. She'd seen a three-year-old before; they were supposed to throw tantrums, giggle at silly things, and run around energetically everywhere they went. Jody was nothing like that, and Kensi knew it wasn't a matter of age or personality. The bright innocence that usually shone in small children had been taken from Jody; Kensi only hoped it wasn't gone completely, and was merely suppressed until Jody could heal from the traumatic ordeals no child should ever have to face.

With clothes and toys bought, resulting in three bags of shopping and a financial dent on her alias' credit card, Kensi headed to the children furniture store. Jody was skinny for her age, but Kensi still wasn't used to carrying a three-year-old around for long periods of time. Her arms were sore, and she knew they'd have more shopping bags to lug back to the house before they left the mall.

Those undeniable facts led her to the stroller section.

Kensi stubbornly browsed the strollers, determined to not ask for help from a store assistant, and soon came across a mother with a boy not much older than Jody. She picked one of the products with the banner "Kiddy Click' n Move 3" above the rows of different-coloured strollers. Deciding it looked useful, and was worthy enough for a mother to buy for her kid, Kensi picked a pink one and caught the attention of a salesman. She didn't bother listening to him listing all of its features; Kensi knew it could fit things in the underneath basket, as well as a back pocket – she also knew it had rain protection and good brakes. Those things were obvious enough to her, and the rest weren't important.

She bought it, and steered the assembled stroller outside the store.

Kensi dropped the shopping bags on a bench and examined the stroller. The foam bar at the front wouldn't keep Jody securely in the seat, but she hoped it would be enough to prevent an escape as long as they kept moving.

'This will be more fun, right?' Kensi tried to make Jody enthusiastic about the stroller. The girl watched it warily, then frowned. 'Okay, well, my arms are sore.' Kensi huffed.

She shoved the shopping bags into the underneath basket, and pushed back the protective hood. Making sure the seat was comfortable, Kensi placed Jody into it and decided not to buckle her in unless necessary. After the suffering the child had been through, Kensi would rather not restrain her for any reason unless it was truly unavoidable.

A bozz from her pocket startled her, and Kensi got out her phone to see Deeks had finally answered her early-morning text.

_~ What the crap? Kensi, are you seriously awake right now? Either you're in a different time zone, or something is really wrong. It's hard enough to wake you for work most days and now you're up before Monty?_

Kensi could tell he was teasing her, as she was not known to be a morning person on the best of days, but she couldn't deny there was something wrong. Looking down at Jody, who was strangling her bear with love, Kensi bit her lip. She wanted to tell him, but was afraid that admitting the truth of how she came to have Jody in her care would result in losing the little girl.

Kensi couldn't risk having the child taken away from her, to send her back to someone who would only cause Jody pain.

_~ Ha. Ha. I couldn't sleep. I'm three hours head of you, anyway. You got work today?_

Kensi texted back, then returned her phone to her pocket. It buzzed again, but she ignored it for the moment.

Her final stop was the grocery store, which made Kensi wish she was still buying clothes. Deeks had done a lot of her grocery shopping in the past year, and more so once they got together a few months ago. They didn't officially live together, but with how many times they spent at the other's apartment – they may as well be.

Grocery shopping was not something Kensi had the patience or willpower to do, though it was oddly different when she wasn't just shopping for herself. She snatched doughnuts and ice cream without any consideration, then agonised over the children brands of snacks and wondered if there had always been so much to choose from. She scanned the ingredients and tried to decipher how bad things were based on sugar and daily intake graphs. Sighing, Kensi went with her eyesight. If it had apples on the front, she got it. If it wasn't coated in chocolate, sprinkles, or all the things she liked to eat, Kensi got it.

Jody sat in the seat at the front of the trolley and finally begun to engage herself in the selection process; she pointed to some of the foods she liked, which mostly only happened in the fruit and vegetable section. The lack of food Jody had been given in the past motivated Kensi to grab everything the girl pointed to, relieved she finally had a budding understanding of what a three-year-old would eat. The only few things Jody wanted that didn't make it into the trolley was a whole block of butter, and a bottle of salad dressing.

Kensi tried to only get healthy things, and remembered Deeks once saying if it had leaves it was probably good. She was tempted, more than once, to just call Deeks and ask what foods were best. He didn't have the healthiest diet either, but it surpassed her own when it came to meal stuff – like the sort of things people cooked; something which Kensi did not do.

When Kensi was convinced neither she nor Jody were going to die of starvation or sugar-overdose, she eagerly paid for the items and left the store. Her bill was not looking too good, she was sure, but had little time to focus on the wrath of Hetty when there was still the matter of getting the food home.

She left the mall and returned to the safe house; it was certainly easier with the stroller, as opposed to carrying a three-year-old and several bags of shopping at once across busy traffic. It was a miracle the stroller hadn't collapsed or tipped over with how many bags Kensi weighed it down with, yet somehow they made it back with all their shopping intact.

Stepping inside, she let Jody out of the stroller and watched to see what she'd do. Jody didn't budge; the girl kept hugging her bear while she watched Kensi carefully, returning her thumb to her mouth.

Kensi got out her phone, and smiled at Deeks' reply.

_~ Not unless you count bathing Monty as work, which I do. I'm so bored your insane reality shows are looking less insane. What are you doing? Where are you?_

Kensi could only imagine the sort of reply she could give; telling Deeks she was standing in the kitchen trying to figure out what to feed a three-year-old while balancing a bag of vegetables.

She hadn't even given Deeks much warning about her "holiday". He'd seen through her title for the abrupt departure, but respected her decision when Kensi insisted she had a friend in need and would be back in a few days at most. He didn't know she'd talked to Nell, otherwise Deeks would have surely mentioned it – or Nell would have texted her for ideas on how to make Deeks stop driving her crazy. It felt unfair to keep it a secret from Deeks, but Leo had begged for secrecy when he'd called her and Kensi knew he'd only do that if he had a dire reason.

Now, with the warehouse mission over, her silence was about protecting Jody.

Kensi didn't answer Deeks right away. She busied herself with putting the food away, while Jody sat close-by on the kitchen counter like she had the night before. The pink bear remained tightly in her grip. She didn't answer when Kensi asked what she wanted for lunch, so Kensi was left to figure something out. She cut an apple into slices, and was relieved when Jody easily accepted the meal. Watching the girl eat, Kensi's mind drifted down the darker corners of her mind once again. It had been building all day, and Kensi tried to push it aside, but the images of the warehouse still haunted her.

Gale was dead, and Kensi felt shamelessly glad the monster was been put to rest. The twins were rescued and had returned home to their relieved parents, based on the text Leo sent her earlier. Eleven bodies were found at the warehouse, though – all children older than ten. It was what bothered Kensi the most, from an agent standpoint, as she watched Jody eating her lunch. Jody was barely three, and didn't fit the sort of targets Gale went for. She had also been completely hidden away, and considerably out of reach. He wouldn't have been touching her if she was sitting in oil and urine, would he?

Kensi shuddered, yet could not ignore her instincts. Once the doubt formed in her mind, she couldn't shake it away. She had to know the truth; Kensi needed to understand why Jody had been in the warehouse in the state she was found in. However, Kensi was in Washington under an alias during supposed vacation leave - how could she find out? Who was there to trust? It would be wrong to ask it of Leo, who was likely facing enough his own consequences for the unauthorised search, but Kensi couldn't let it go.

She needed answers.

Kensi stared at her phone, thinking about asking Deeks. She also considered calling Nell, then remembered something the analyst had once said. Nell told her Callen often talked about an agent in DC who he'd learned a lot from and could always trust. Kensi had met him once too, though it was a while ago.

Frowning, Kensi paced as she tried to remember the name.

'Gibbs.' She breathed.

Turning when Jody made a sound, Kensi noticed the girl was finished eating. Kensi dismissed her own need for food, and collected Jody from the counter. She fished through the shopping bags for a new scarf she'd bought, and quickly secured it around her neck as fashionably as possible. It wasn't an easy feat, while still holding the ever-clingy Jody in her arms, but Kensi managed to effectively conceal the bruising.

They left the house shortly after – though Kensi didn't know where Gibbs lived, she did know of one place in DC that would help her find him. It involved a risk, and yet she had to take the chance if she wanted answers.

Kensi called a cab, and was driven to the motel she'd originally intended to stay in before she'd ended up at the warehouse and her plans were derailed. Being as discreet as possible, Kensi carried Jody to the room and wasted no time gathering up her things.

She tucked her badge into her belt, and returned to the lobby to check out.

'Didn't know you had a kid.' The aged man at the counter commented. He looked at Jody, who quickly swerved in Kensi's arms to hide her face from the man.

'Well, I do.' Kensi retorted, and signed the form.

She left the motel, rubbing her hand over Jody's back to calm the girl's fear-driven shyness, and dumped her travel bag into the back seat of the awaiting cab. The drive was longer this time, and Jody was getting restless on her lap. She was no doubt still very confused about what was going on, and Kensi didn't know what to do about that. Now her alias was updated, thanks to Nell, Kensi revisited the idea of taking Jody with her to Los Angeles. There really wasn't much reason to stay in DC. Although, there was still the matter that legally Kensi shouldn't have Jody in her care at all – she'd taken the girl without notifying authorities.

'It's okay, I'll walk.' Kensi told the driver when they arrived at the Navy Yard, not wanting to subject the cab to the extensive security checks.

The less memorable her visit was, the better.

Kensi got out, holding Jody protectively close, and made her way to the entrance. She showed her badge and hoped it would be enough to get her through with her weapon, but she was halted by the request for her NCIS ID as well. Kensi sighed, wondering if it was standard protocol or if the presence of a three-year-old seemed a bit suspicious.

'I'm undercover.' Kensi explained, though it wasn't technically true. 'I can't carry my ID. You can look me up, if you have to; it's Special Agent Kensi Blye. I usually operate in Los Angeles. I just came to speak to Special Agent Gibbs involving a classified matter.'

'Very well, Ma'am.' The tall security guard nodded, after checking a nearby computer. 'Agent Gibbs came in an hour ago. Should I let him know to expect you?'

'I'd rather you didn't. The less that know about my visit, the better.' Kensi said.

She walked onwards to the elevator, and was about to step in when Jody suddenly started fighting her.

'No!' She yelled with volume that echoed against the nearby walls. The girl swung her fists and squirmed will all her strength – the point that Kensi almost dropped her.

'Okay, okay!' Kensi said quickly, stressed by the attention she was drawing. Luckily there weren't many people around. 'No elevator; gotcha.' She exhaled, and took the stairs instead.

Kensi didn't know what was wrong with the elevator, but accepted it in her rush to see Gibbs and therefore leave the Navy Yard as quickly as possible.

_~ Kens?_

She halted at the top of the stairs, and looked around the orange-themed room with irritating skylights. She sighed, and checked her phone when Deeks texted her. She hurriedly tapped a reply, then shifted Jody's weight in her arms.

_~ I can't talk right now, Deeks. Will text you when I'm done. Nothing to worry about._

Kensi approached the bullpen, glad to find the other three desks empty, and spotted Gibbs seated in front of his computer with a cup of coffee in hand. He looked over at her, though Kensi was yet to direct his attention to her, and narrowed his eyes with recognition.

'Special Agent Kensi Blye.' She re-introduced herself, but couldn't offer her hand as she tried to keep her grip on the squirming three-year-old in her arms. 'We met a few years back, in Los Angeles?'

'It was you.' Gibbs realised.

'What?' Kensi panicked.

'At the warehouse.' Gibbs continued. His curiosity increased, as he looked at the little girl held protectively in her arms. 'You wanna tell me what's going on?'

'Not really.' Kensi stated boldly.

'Then why are you here?' Gibbs wanted to know.

'There was something about what happened in the warehouse that didn't seem right.' Kensi sighed, moving Jody to her other hip.

'You took out the bastard.' He praised her. 'You rescued the kids.'

'Yeah.' Kensi looked downwards, trying to force the images of darkness and pain from her mind. 'Not all of them, though.'

'Can't save everyone.' Gibbs stated, sipping his coffee. He looked at the child she held, who was adamant to hide her face in the nook of Kensi's neck.

'Yours?' Gibbs asked.

Kensi shook her head, deciding to tell the truth. She rubbed circles on Jody's back, and stubbornly met Gibbs' gaze when he stared at her with a fixed look.

'She's yours.' He told her.

Kensi chose not to explore his meaningful words right then. She came there for a reason; she needed answers. Kensi sighed and alternated the weight of the child again. She'd have to give Gibbs more details, and it raised a fear inside her. Kensi didn't want to trust anyone with her secret of how she'd found Jody, and essentially kidnapped her.

'Something bothering you, Blye?' Gibbs commented when he observed her discomfort.

'I don't think Gale Boyd was the only one in the warehouse.' Kensi worded carefully. 'I found something that didn't add up to his MO. And there was oil – the suspicious kind.'

'Suspicious?' Gibbs raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue.

'Military-grade stuff.' Kensi elaborated. 'We had a case in LA months back with that stuff. It hasn't been around for very long, and is mostly used for powering battlefield mechanics.'

'Yeah, Callen told me.' He said. 'Thought you got all the players in that one?'

'We did.' Kensi nodded confidently. 'It doesn't make sense.'

'Then ya missed something.' Gibbs stated plainly. 'What was it?'

Kensi frowned at his words, but paused to think on an answer to his question. She remembered the case, as much as anyone remembered a standard case from months ago, and was certain they'd shut the entire operation down. Shaking her head, she looked over at Gibbs while once again trying to keep the wriggling child in her arms.

'I think they're unrelated.' Kensi insisted. 'My instincts tell me as much. I know that's not proof, but I'm sure we didn't miss anything. We got them all, and they never had any ties to DC.'

'Make ya case.' Gibbs said.

'What?' Kensi startled. 'I can't; I'm on holiday.'

'Not anymore.' Gibbs rose from his chair, and indicated to the desk next to his.

Kensi looked at it and hesitated – this was not how she'd envisioned things happening. She couldn't afford to work a case, not with Jody and not with a somewhat unfamiliar team so different from the family she was used to. However, she did want answers. Kensi would have more control if she worked the case with the DC team, though Jody's weight in her arms reminded her she couldn't possibly investigate a case with a child attached to her hip.

Kensi stared back at Gibbs, and mentally sorted through all of her available options. With a heavy sigh, Kensi made a decision.

~ P ~

Kensi returned to the safe house several hours later.

Carrying Jody against her hip for an extended period of time felt to have rendered her arms dead, which intensified when the girl fell asleep cradled in her arms. That was how Kensi carried her inside late in the afternoon, and gently placed her on the bed without disturbing the blankets.

Exhaling with relief, Kensi walked to the kitchen and leaned against the side of the pantry. She hadn't exactly agreed to leading the case, as Gibbs insisted, yet Kensi found some middle ground she could work with. Gibbs would lead the investigation, and she'd spend the afternoons helping where she could. No fieldwork, and no leadership. Kensi was disappointed, as it would have surely been fun to lead the DC team for a while, yet after everything that had happened – Kensi just wanted it to be over so she could go home.

Thinking of everything, and everyone, she missed in Los Angeles, Kensi got out her phone to text Deeks. She told him something had come up and she might not be home for a few more days. Kensi said not to worry, though she knew he would anyway. He also, as predicted, responded with an array of questions and confusions. Kensi stared at the screen and wondered if it was truly fair to keep him in the dark about what was going on. Since when did they have secrets like that? They were a couple now, and Kensi didn't want to lie to him or brush it off as something unimportant. Jody was very important – perhaps even more so than Kensi herself had initially realised, as she reluctantly considered what Gibbs had told her earlier.

She's yours.

Kensi didn't answer the text from Deeks. Instead, she called him and listened nervously to the ringing. He answered rather quickly.

'Kens?' Deeks worried. 'Talk to me. What's going on?'

'I owed a favour to a friend, like I told you.' Kensi said. 'We busted into a warehouse and saved a pair of kids that would have met a worse end than you can ever imagine. A lot of other kids weren't so lucky.'

'Jeez.' Deeks breathed, saddened by what she was saying. 'Are you okay?'

'A bit bruised, but I'm fine.' Kensi answered. 'Something about the warehouse seemed off - one thing didn't make sense. I'm looking into it now, with official back-up, and that's why I need to stay a few more days.'

'Anything I can do to help?' Deeks almost pleaded with her to invite him to join her. Kensi was just as tempted to agree.

'Not really.' Kensi said, wishing she didn't feel as though she was lying to him. 'I've got it covered.'

Any advancement in the conversation was cut short by a terrified scream from the other room. Kensi almost dropped her phone in shock, and knew without a doubt that Deeks had heard the terrified sound. She considered hanging up on him, as a way of shoving aside the need to explain, but couldn't.

'Hang on.' Kensi told Deeks, wincing at the timing, and hurried into the bedroom.

Jody was bawling. She sat upright and forcefully rubbed her hands against her tearful eyes. Her whole body shook with emotion, and her face paled beyond what Kensi thought was possible.

Kensi placed her phone downwards on the bedside table, hoping to muffle Deeks' hearing range, and sat on the edge of the bed.

'Honey?' Kensi reached slowly towards the girl. Jody flinched away from her and her sobs increased. 'Did you have a bad dream?'

Jody removed her hands from her face, and looked over at Kensi.

The fear and turmoil etched into her small features broke Kensi's heart. She disregarded considerate space and pulled the little girl into her arms. With Jody settled willingly on her lap, hysterically clinging to her protector, Kensi rocked the child in hope of reassuring her everything was okay. Although there was nothing was okay about a three-year-old screaming like that, as if the chilled hands of Death itself had gripped her soul. Resting her chin on Jody's head, Kensi rubbed the girl's back and tried desperately to soothe away any darkness trying to leave traces on an innocent little girl who was so undeserving of the terror-ridden nightmares.

Kensi glanced at her phone, and reached for it, while keeping Jody curled on her lap for all the warmth and security she could offer the girl.

'Kens?' Deeks asked when he heard her sigh. 'Everything okay?'

'There's something I haven't told you.' Kensi said quietly. 'I'm protecting someone – I'm the only person in the world that she has to keep her safe right now. I'll tell you all about it when this is over, but right now I can't afford to be distracted. She is my priority right now, Deeks. I'm sorry.'

Kensi hung up and tightly closed her eyes. She didn't want to shut Deeks out, though it was what she was good at, but Kensi didn't want to lose focus from her primary mission: protect Jody. She should have been sitting in the bedroom while the girl slept, in case she was needed, and not standing the kitchen chatting to her boyfriend.

'It's okay, Honey.' Kensi continued to rock the sniffling child wrapped securely in her arms. 'It's okay, I'll keep you safe. I won't let anyone hurt you again, I promise.'

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Thank you for reading! Please take a moment to review, as I'd really appreciate the feedback.


	3. Monsters

**Author's Notes:** A thanks to all my reviewers, readers, and followers! You're awesome. And thanks to G for helping me straighten Gibbs out this chapter - he was giving me grief, but we fed him coffee and this chapter finally got finished. Enjoy!

* * *

**~ Monsters ~**

Kensi microwaved some canned stew for their dinner, and afterwards carried Jody to the bathroom for another battle to bathe the girl. Jody still squirmed and yelled, but remained in the tub while Kensi quickly and carefully cleaned her. The incident was further stressful because Kensi had to pry the pink bear from the child's hand prior, to make sure the toy wouldn't get soaked in the bath. It was clear Jody had a safety-based attachment to the stuffed toy, but if it got wet she wouldn't be able to cuddle it until it dried.

Kensi dressed the three-year-old in new purple pyjamas, which Jody loved, and returned the bear to the child's awaiting arms. Carrying Jody to bed, Kensi snatched a book from the bedside table and settled on the bed a distance from the girl to read it. She wanted to encourage Jody to sleep, and make sure she felt relaxed enough to do so, which is where the storybook was most useful.

The simple task became much more to Kensi, however, when Jody crawled over to snuggle beside her and sucked her thumb while her bear was tucked under one arm.

Jody's attention was on the book the entire time, but Kensi kept drifting her gaze to the small child curled up beside her. Jody looked so comfortable and trusting; the sight alone stirred something inside Kensi that she wasn't sure she could risk feeling. Her bond with Jody swelled, and Kensi could no longer imagine parting from the child who depended on her saviour to keep her safe from the darkness of the world. Kensi no longer minded agonising over what to feed the girl, or struggling with simple tasks - such as dressing and bathing her. As Kensi read the story, she even wanted to sit cuddled with the sweet little girl every night to help her sleep and feel safe.

It hadn't been long enough to really call it a routine, but nevertheless Kensi knew she'd miss these moments if the worse were the happen.

Kensi had saved Jody from a terrible fate, but it was still kidnap. She had no legal claim on the child – all it would take was for someone to know what really happened that night in the warehouse and Jody would be removed from her care. Kensi couldn't breathe a word of the truth because she was afraid of losing Jody – it was the only way to make sure the girl was safe. It didn't matter that Kensi knew there were people she could trust, and who could help her keep Jody safe and a secret – her mind wasn't thinking about that. Kensi was afraid – she'd committed a crime in itself by taking Jody and not alerting anyone. She felt if she told one person, no matter who it was, somehow everyone would know. It wasn't rational, but Kensi couldn't shake it off. She couldn't stand the thought of letting Jody down in any way – it didn't matter what Kensi wanted or needed; it was all about Jody.

'Bear!' Jody pointed to the brown bear illustrated on the page of the book, jolting Kensi from her thoughts.

'Yeah, bear.' Kensi smiled, looking down at the pair of bright green eyes staring up at her.

Hearing Jody speak was an amazing sound, after the extended silence and fear the girl had demonstrated most of the time she'd been with Kensi. It was a stage of progress which gave Kensi hope, but also reassurance, that she was doing the right thing by making the little girl her sole priority above all else.

'Ly mine!' Jody lifted her pink bear, recognising the species similarities.

'Yeah.' Kensi chuckled. 'Except yours is pink, and this one is brown.' She pointed out, indicating to the stuffed animal in the storybook.

'Pink.' Jody looked at her cuddled toy. 'Brown.' She repeated, inching closer to better see the page of the book. 'Ma bear pretty.'

'Your bear is pretty.' Kensi tried not to laugh, though she smiled at the adorableness of the moment.

She'd always said she had no way with kids at all. Kensi knew it was true she had no real experience with them, and was utterly lost when it came to dealing with children of any age. Everyone who knew her knew those facts, but Jody wasn't any other kid in Kensi's eyes. The bond between them somehow smoothed out Kensi's panic and insecurities regarding children. It didn't make any sense to her, and yet there they were discussing the difference between two coloured bears.

It was a silly little topic, Kensi thought, but Jody was talking so to Kensi it was the most important discussion she'd had all day.

It also helped her have a better understanding of three-year-old communication. Kensi realised sometimes Jody's words weren't as easy to understand, but the girl had plenty of comprehension of the things she said. She could recognise animal species, could follow stories without getting confused or misunderstanding what was going on, and Jody easily learned different colours with little prompting. Kensi was relieved, and wondered if it would be worth her time to check a library for a book that could more accurately explain what to expect from the three-year-old in regards to communication and behaviour. She didn't want to miss or overlook something important just because she had no experience or real knowledge about children in general.

Though, in the very short time she'd spent with Jody so far – Kensi was learning.

'It's time for sleep now.' Kensi said, putting the book back on the bedside table. She lifted the blankets, and watched as Jody wriggled beneath them.

'Bear stay?' Jody clutched to her toy, her eyes wide with worry.

'Of course.' Kensi assured her. 'He can stay with you.'

'Ma bear a girl.'

Kensi bit back a snort. 'She can stay with you, then. I'll leave the lights on, okay?'

'Kay.' Jody yawned, slowly closing her eyes.

'Goodnight.' Kensi leaned to kiss her forehead, then stepped away from the bed.

She watched to make sure Jody had fallen asleep, then hurried to the bathroom for her shower and to change into her own new pyjamas. She'd re-packed the thrift and intended to drop it back the next morning. Kensi also had the oil-contaminated clothes in one bag, along with her police vest, and would deliver it to NCIS in the afternoon when she returned to help with the case.

Lying in the bed beside Jody, Kensi sighed and reached for her phone. Deeks hadn't texted her again, though she wished he had. Kensi wanted to tell him everything, but if she told him too much Deeks would surely take the first flight to DC. Sometimes had such a supportive and loyal partner/boyfriend had a downside, as Kensi was determined to deal with the outcome of her decision on her own. Jody was her responsibility, and to share that with someone else felt as if she was sharing the blame for what she'd chosen to do. Or as though she was saying she couldn't handle the situation.

Kensi Blye never backed down from a challenge.

Still, she was tempted. To hear his voice telling her things were going to be okay, no matter if he couldn't promise that nor understand the extent of the situation – it still would have made Kensi feel better. Sighing, she returned her phone to the bedside table and rolled onto her side to face Jody.

Kensi wished the peacefulness of the child's face when she slept would stay forever void of hurt and darkness. It was impossible to shield the little girl from every heartache of life, but for now Kensi could only hope Jody's dreams were filled with coloured bears and rainbow skies.

* * *

Kensi woke the next morning in a state of panic. She'd opened her eyes to find herself alone in the bed. The pink bear lay abandoned on the overturned sheets, and Kensi's mind raced with all the horrible scenarios she feared had happened.

'Jody?' Kensi called shakily, stricken with fear.

There was a sound from the bathroom.

Kensi realised the door had been left ajar the night before, but was now wide open. She hurried to the door-way, barely preventing from crashing into it, and exhaled a gush of relief upon seeing Jody standing unharmed by the toilet. Her relief quickly turned to guilt when she smelled the urine and saw Jody's tearful face.

'What happened?'

Jody started crying and covered her face with shame. Kensi grabbed some fresh clothes from one of the shopping bags, which rested against a wall in the bedroom, and placed them on the counter attached to the sink. As she approached Jody, Kensi realised what happened - the little girl couldn't properly reach the toilet.

Anger filled her, as Kensi berated herself for not realising it sooner. She couldn't believe it hadn't crossed her mind before. Once again, Kensi doubted her ability to care for a child if she couldn't even remember Jody would need to relieve herself at some point. The image of Jody sitting in oil and urine in the warehouse loomed in Kensi's mind - haunted her to have caused a similar event to occur under her watch.

'Honey, I'm so sorry.' Kensi said, scooping Jody up.

She fought the child to remove her urine-soaked clothes, then started a bath. The girl screamed and wailed the whole time, and Kensi wanted to cry from guilt and frustration. For a brief moment, she considered allowing someone else to take Jody – convinced as she was that surely they'd have been able to avoid this incident and take better care of the child.

When Jody was clean, Kensi lifted her out and drained the bath water. She dressed the girl in a pair of child jeans, and a blue shirt with a sun printed on the front. Jody's mix-toned brown hair splayed over her shoulders, and Kensi decided to tie it up into a ponytail. She clipped back some loose strands that would have otherwise gotten in Jody's eyes, then held the child closely in her arms to soothe her.

'I'm going to fix this, okay?' Kensi promised, holding the sniffling three-year-old dearly. 'I'll get something so you can reach it - I'm sorry I didn't have something already.'

Jody mumbled and Kensi pulled back to see her face, unable to work out what she'd tried to say.

'What, Honey?'

'Bear!' Jody leaned hazardously backwards in Kensi's arms, almost slipping from her grip entirely, as she reached her arm in the direction of the bed.

'Okay. Why don't you sit with your bear while I get dressed.' Kensi suggested.

She put Jody on the floor. The little girl ran for the bed and climbed on, crawling across to her bear and clutched it desperately.

Kensi sighed, feeling dreadful, and gathered her new jeans and a red plaid shirt. Kensi changed, brushed her teeth, and examined the bruising on her neck just as she had the previous morning. It was getting worse, and had turned a dark shade of ugly overnight.

Wrapping a scarf around her neck, Kensi returned to the bedroom to see Jody was sitting on Kensi's side of the bed. She cuddled the pink bear close for all the comfort it offered, and watched Kensi approach.

'Are you hungry?' Kensi asked, trying to return the situation to normal. Or as normal as it could be, with Jody. 'Let's have some breakfast, okay?'

Jody nodded shyly and slid off the bed. She walked to Kensi and raised her arms to be held. Kensi lifted her up and kissed the girl's forehead, then carried her into the other room to find something edible for breakfast.

With Jody seated on her customary place on the counter, Kensi searched through the fridge for something to make them. She'd bought as many groceries as she could to last them a few days at least, but the fact remained that Kensi did not cook. She leaned back and sighed, wishing she could call Deeks across the country just to have him dazzle them with his culinary skills.

'Fine.' Kensi frowned stubbornly. 'Jody, I'm not really good at cooking – but I'm gonna try making us some eggs, okay?'

'Kay.' Jody nodded, squishing her bear to her chest.

Kensi exhaled with relief, and prepared the kitchen for what she hoped would be a decent meal. She'd cooked crispy bacon before, and a few basic things, but in general Kensi steered clear of the stove and oven area. She didn't want to have Jody behind her – the counter was safe only as long as Kensi was in close reach as it was much too high for Jody otherwise. There also wasn't enough safe space near the stove to seat Jody on a counter in her eye-range, so Kensi looked around the overall room for a solution.

'Would you like to play with your new toys while I make breakfast?' Kensi offered.

Jody nodded eagerly, and let Kensi carry her back to the bedroom. Kensi put her on the floor, and watched as Jody picked out some toys from the shopping bags. She helped the girl carry them into the main room, where Jody was content to sit on the sofa with them. The sofa had its back to the kitchen, so Kensi couldn't see her at all times, but at least she'd know if Jody wandered elsewhere.

With a nervous bite to her lower lip, Kensi returned to the kitchen to attempt her domestic bout of cooking breakfast for herself and Jody. She spent a while searching for what she needed, knowing there had to be a frying pan somewhere in the house, then tried to determined how many eggs to use.

While Kensi watched the eggs cook, she thought about how far out of her comfort zone she'd been in the last two days alone. She had a three-year-old in her care, who she'd fed, bathed, read a story to, comforted, bought clothes and toys, and now even cooked for. Kensi fidgeted uncomfortably when she realised everything she did, and was still doing, for Jody was rather motherly.

It was all the things Jody needed, and deserved, yet were generally performed by a parent.

_She's yours._

Gibbs words rang in her mind, and Kensi tried to force them away. She was only giving Jody what she needed, right? She wasn't her mother; not at all. Kensi couldn't be a mother, right?

Distracted, Kensi smelled a scent she'd been afraid of and quickly flipped the eggs.

'Damn it.' She grumbled.

Deeks made it look so easy, but Kensi soon realised the act of flipping eggs in itself was a skill. After another minute, they no longer resembled the white and yellow eggs Kensi had envisioned. They weren't charcoal, though, so hopefully appearances had little impact on the taste.

'Jody!' Kensi called the girl when she'd finished placing the mangled eggs onto two plates – a smaller one for Jody, and the bigger-sized one for herself.

Jody was startled by the sound and dropped a colourful toy on the floor. She spun around, then slipped off the couch to see what Kensi was doing. Seeing the food, Jody hurried over and raised her arms expectantly.

Kensi lifted the girl onto her usual counter and placed the plate beside her, with a glass of juice to accompany it. She watched worriedly as Jody stared at the misshapen eggs for a while, hesitant, then slowly raised her fork to try it.

'Is it okay?' Kensi checked when Jody chewed. The girl nodded her head, and Kensi released the breath she'd been holding. 'Good.' She made a mug of coffee nearby, then returned to eat her own breakfast beside where Jody sat.

While the pair ate their meal, Kensi mused on how to spend the morning.

She briefly wished she'd decided to go to NCIS all day, rather than just in the afternoon, but knew she couldn't. Kensi had to make sure Jody was taken care of, and it would be a lot harder to do that when she was distracted by a case. It left them with a free morning, however, and Kensi had no idea how to spend it. Normally she'd go for a run, and watch some Top Model she'd saved up in her VCR.

With Jody, she couldn't do either of those things.

Sighing, Kensi took the empty plates and the glasses to the sink. She sent Jody back to the sofa where the toys were, and occupied her time with washing the dishes. It was usually a chore she despised, but the safe house wasn't modern or fancy enough to have its own dishwasher. The task passed time, though, so Kensi didn't mind as much.

Afterwards, she decided to go for a walk to the mall and buy Jody a much-needed step stool - so she'd be able to read the toilet. It was a necessity, and the guilt still weighed heavily on Kensi's mind.

'Hey, Jody.' Kensi walked around to face the girl. 'Would you like to go for another walk to the mall? We need to buy you a step stool.'

Jody halted her action of violently hitting two dolls together, then looked over at Kensi. She considered the request, then nodded her head, and dropped the toys. Jody retrieved her pink bear from where she'd safely put it on the coffee table, and clutched it under one arm while she approached Kensi.

Lifting her arms up to be held, Jody frowned when Kensi declined.

'We're going to take the stroller.' Kensi said, walking to the space beside front door where it sat.

Jody kicked lightly at the carpet floor, then nodded and walked over. Kensi picked her up and placed the girl into the stroller. Kensi checked she had everything they needed, then left the house and locked the door behind her.

Outside was a bit cloudy, but not enough to worry about rain.

Kensi pushed the stroller along an already-familiar path to the mall, thinking about anything else she might need to buy to make things easier for Jody. She was still frustrated at herself for not realising Jody couldn't reach the toilet on her own. They'd made such good progress the night before, with Jody actually holding a conversation for the first time since she was rescued, and Kensi hoped she hadn't messed everything up.

With at least four hours to spare until she was due at NCIS, Kensi tried to take her time with the shopping. However, she located the perfect wooden step stool after only fifteen minutes of looking around – even Jody nodded her head with approval.

Kensi steered the stroller around the mall for a while longer, looking at various pieces of furniture and equipment that were designed for kids. All she ended up adding to the step stool purchase were a few matching plastic kids plates and cups – each a different colour, as well as a brand new pair of purple and white shoes to replace the thrift ones Jody had been wearing, which hadn't quite fit her. She switched the old shoes with the new ones the moment they left the store, and Jody waved her feet back and forth to admire their shiny appearance.

~ P ~

On the way back to the safe house, Kensi decided to take a detour.

She wandered the longer distance, checking her phone for the GPS mapped location of what she was looking for. They soon arrived at a lush green park with appropriate child-safe fencing surrounding a colourful playground. There were four other parents there and twice as many kids.

'You wanna play for a while?' Kensi walked around the stroller and crouched beside Jody, enabling the girl to be at eye-level yet also have a clear view of the park. She'd conducted enough interrogations to know that standing over the little girl would come across as very intimating and imposing.

She wanted Jody to feel at ease, not threatened.

Jody squirmed and held her bear closer to her chest, looking from Kensi to the other kids running around with smiles on their faces. She didn't object, though her shyness was very clear. Kensi lifted her out of the stroller, and placed Jody on the ground. The girl watched the other children playing and laughing, then looked up at Kensi to check she was still allowed to play there.

'Stay where I can see you.' Kensi instructed, trying to ignore her swelling bout of nervousness. The place was fully fenced, and she would choose the bench closest to the only main gate, but still it made her anxious. 'I'll call you when it's time to go. Jody, you don't want to get your bear dirty though – she can wait for you here.'

Jody looked at Kensi, frowning slightly at the third time she'd been called by a name she hadn't heard before. The girl accepted it was what Kensi called her, and carefully tucked her bear into the stroller. Watching Kensi, Jody waited until she'd been given the signal of permission to go play with the other kids.

Kensi exhaled with relief when Jody walked away. There was unease in the girl's entire posture and the way she tugged downwards at the hem of her shirt, but Jody kept walking forward until she reached the playground. She swerved around to make sure Kensi was still there, then slowly started climbing some steps with careful, deliberate motions.

Kensi walked to the bench, positioning the stroller beside her, and sank onto the seat with a long exhale. She counted nine children playing, apart from Jody - and four parents; a father talking on his phone, a woman with an infant, a couple bickering on the other side of the park, and a mother with blonde hair who approached Kensi the moment she saw her sitting down.

'I haven't seen you here before.' She said, as her way of greeting Kensi.

'We're just passing through.' Kensi said, though it wasn't technically a lie.

She'd been undercover many times, and she channelled those skills when faced with a rush questions from the curious other woman. She was tempted to tell her to go away, and not allow the minor distraction, but Kensi wanted to keep up appearances.

The less suspicion she raised, the better.

'Your daughter is very shy, like my son.' The mother said, indicating to a dark-haired six-year-old being pushed on the swings by an older girl. 'How old is yours? Oh, pardon me – where are my manners? I'm Catherine.'

'Kensi.' She answered. 'She's three.' Kensi kept her reactions in check, and knew that to assume Jody was her daughter was the natural thought to conclude when she'd showed up at the park with the little girl in a stroller.

The conversation continued, and Kensi tried not to be bothered by it. She'd soon invented quite a story about having gained custody from her ex-fiance, and then rambled about heading home to her loving boyfriend after their trip. Kensi hadn't meant to get carried away, but her mind had conjured the thought of what it would be like when she got back to LA – hopefully with Jody still in her care. Deeks was great with kids, Kensi knew, and couldn't help smiling at the imagination of the three of them sitting on his couch together.

She had no idea if it was possible, or if everything would fall apart before she even got to leave DC, but it was nice to picture a happy ending while she chatted with the other mother.

Despite her constant talking, and trying to discreetly pry parenting tips from Catherine, Kensi kept an eagle's eye on Jody. The girl hadn't interacted with any of the other kids, preferring to avoid them entirely, as she climbed up steps and slid down slides. She repeated the same actions over and over – Kensi could tell she was content but Jody didn't smile or laugh like the other kids did.

'Your ex-fiance must have been very unkind.' Catherine commented, glancing at Jody for a moment.

'He was.' Kensi said shortly. Gale Boyd had been a monster.

She tensed when the father on the phone spotted his eight-year-old son trying to climb a side of the slide he wasn't supposed to. The man hung up his phone and hurried into the scene, scolding his son and tugging him off the slide before the boy could hurt himself. Jody had been standing nearby, and panic-stricken terror filled her eyes at the incident – the furious man towered over her only feet away.

Kensi immediately realised the otherwise innocent moment had triggered something dark in Jody's mind.

'We better go.' Kensi said to Catherine, trying to sound casual. 'We have a meeting soon, and it looks like it might rain.'

She hurried forward and called Jody's name. The girl was frozen to the spot and didn't turn towards Kensi at all. The father saw Kensi rushing towards him and moved out of the way, confused why a little girl was staring fearfully at him.

'What happened?' The man asked with concern, nudging his son back to the playground.

Kensi glared at him, then scooped Jody into her arms. The girl yelped at the action, and swerved around to see it was only Kensi who had her, then curled against her form. The little girl whimpered as she buried her face against Kensi's scarf and hair.

'Is she alright?' Catherine worried, when Kensi returned to the stroller with Jody sniffling in her arms.

'She's fine.' Kensi dismissed, reaching to hand Jody the pink bear.

The child grabbed it tightly, and held it close, while Kensi placed her back into the stroller. Jody saw Catherine watching her, and used the bear to conceal her face.

Kensi barely uttered farewells to the Catherine, before she left the park and made sure to secure the gate closed along the way. With an exhale, Kensi checked on Jody again, and turned to take them back to the safe house.

* * *

Kensi and Jody arrived at NCIS a little after one in the morning.

After the incident at the park, Kensi had spent extra time at the house playing with Jody although she'd initially felt silly using little toys - unless it was the building blocks. It was awkward at first, but Jody seemed to enjoy having someone to share her toys with so Kensi played with her for over an hour. She gave the girl ham sandwiches for lunch, cut into tiny triangles like her mother used to do, then they headed outside to call a cab.

There was no need for the stroller, so Kensi had left it at the house. Jody was very relieved, whereas Kensi missed having her hands free.

She made sure the contaminated clothes she and Jody had worn at the warehouse were sent to Abby – as per Gibbs' request the night before. She carried Jody up the stairs to the bullpen; the girl had once again kicked a fuss at the idea of going in an elevator. This time there was a flurry of activity in the room - with agents and other employees passing by or sitting at desks. Kensi rubbed Jody's back, who clutched to her bear and hid her face when confronted with the casual commotion, then walked forward.

'Type faster, McSlow!' Tony whined, standing behind McGee's desk to watch him work.

Kensi observed them from the sidelines, remaining near the desk Gibbs had insisted she could use the night before. Gibbs wasn't there, and the indicated desk beside his remained empty. Jody whined in her arms, which caught the attention of the other two, and Kensi kissed her forehead to assure her everything was okay.

'Huh.' Tony straightened, watching the pair curiously. 'You must be Agent Blye? The boss told us to expect you.'

'Hey.' McGee smiled at Kensi, recognising her.

'Hi.' Kensi returned. She was relieved to see McGee, who was at least somewhat familiar to her, though Tony she'd only seen very briefly on the screen in the old Ops Center.

The moment was politely awkward, until Gibbs strolled into the room with a cup of coffee in hand. He saw Kensi standing there, and paused. Gibbs looked at his coffee, took a sip, then gestured for her to follow him.

Gibbs led her to an empty conference room, and shut the door.

Kensi watched him, and knew she wouldn't like whatever discussion they were about to have. Jody felt heavier in her arms, and the child's grip on the bear slackened. Kensi winced when the toy fell to the floor, realising Jody had fallen asleep and she couldn't risk picking up the bear without waking the girl.

Gibbs bent to retrieve it, and Kensi placed it on the corner of the table.

'What?' Kensi wanted to know why he'd called her away from the bullpen to speak privately. Panic swarmed senses, though Kensi pushed itdown and stubbornly stared back at the older agent.

'Are you okay?' He asked.

'What?' Kensi lowered her voice, surprised. 'Yeah. I'm fine.' She frowned stubbornly, shifting the weight of the sleeping three-year-old in her arms.

'Kids are hard work.' Gibbs commented, taking another sip from his coffee.

'I told you, I'm fine.' Kensi frowned. 'Can we cut to the chase? Did you find out something?'

'You wanna lay her down somewhere first?' Gibbs glanced at Jody, knowing little kids could be heavy when they slept. Besides, the case wasn't really something for her ears - even if the little girl was clearly asleep. 'The Director has a couch in his office. She'll be safe there while we work.'

'No.' Kensi said, without consideration, as she placed a hand on Jody's back and held her closer.

The last time she'd left Jody alone to sleep, the girl had woken from a terrifying nightmare and Kensi hadn't been there right away to comfort her. She wasn't going to let that happen again, nor did she want to entrust Jody to anyone's care – not even the Director of NCIS himself.

'Are you sure?' Gibbs raised an eyebrow. 'Kids can get heavy. Vance's secretary can watch her; she's got clearance and she's good.'

'No.' Kensi stated stubbornly. 'It's fine. What have you got?'

'You don't trust the NCIS Director's secretary with a kid?' Gibbs narrowed his eyes, knowing she was hiding something.

'I don't trust anyone with her.' Kensi stated, frustrated that he wouldn't just tell her what she needed to know so she could entirely avoid the conversation about Jody. 'I don't care who they are. She's my responsibility.'

'Responsibility or child?' Gibbs questioned, noticing it was the second time Kensi had referred to Jody as her responsibility instead of her daughter. 'Is that all, Blye? She's a kid, not a possession.'

'I know that!' Kensi growled, then inhaled a sharp breath.

The stern look look on his face implied he was not a man for her to lose her temper with, especially when she needed his authority and help regarding the warehouse case.

'I'm not gonna let anything happen to her.' Kensi said, her mind flooding with images of Jody sitting in the darkened space of the warehouse. She'd promised to keep the little girl safe at all costs. 'I won't let anyone take her away.'

Gibbs looked at the girl again, taking in her features and the fierce protectiveness Kensi demonstrated. Apart from the hair colour, there were nothing obvious in her appearance that related mother to child. Though, her face was almost always turned from him so Gibbs couldn't be sure. Yet, the phrase Kensi said about not having Jody taken away, rather than a statement only about keeping her from harms ways, stirred a suspicion in Gibbs.

He'd briefly considered it before, but now it was clear to him that more was going on than Kensi was openly saying.

'You kidnapped her.' Gibbs spoke it as a statement, though his eyes lacked accusation. He needed to know the truth of the situation, and yet his gut told him if his theory was true than there was likely even more to the story than he originally assumed.

'I...' Kensi darted her gaze to the floor, feeling her heartbeat quicken with alarm. In an instant, everything could fall apart. She was scared - she couldn't speak.

'It's a simple question.' Gibbs said. 'Why'd you do it?'

'I have to keep her safe.' Kensi insisted, swallowing anxiously. 'I promised her that much. She needs me. Please, don't make me do this.'

'Who are you keeping her safe from?' Gibbs asked.

'I can't say.' Kensi pressed her lips together, and shifted the weight in her aching arms.

'Do I have to call your Operations Manager to figure out what the hell is going on here?' Gibbs cautioned, hoping Kensi would tell him on her own.

'No!' Kensi urgently stepped forward, frantic at the idea of someone telling Hetty about what was going on during a supposed _"vacation"_ to DC while under a classified alias.

Kensi shuddered at the thought of how Hetty might react.

She carefully switched Jody to her other hip, and winced at the situation she found herself in. Deeks was right; she wasn't quite as good at certain cover stories once she was put on the spot and under pressure. And Gibbs wasn't going to let it go. Fear gripped Kensi tighter than Gale had ever managed – it suffocated all confidence and security Kensi had felt up until that moment. All her hopes and stubbornness faded - replaced only with the shocking thought of having Jody ripped from her arms.

Kensi would never forgive herself if that happened.

'I found her at the warehouse, okay?' She said, furiously brushing a tear aside with her spare hand. 'We went in to rescue the twins - we couldn't risk waiting for an authorised search warrant. Those kids were in Hell and if we'd waited any longer they'd have suffered to death at the hands of that monster, Gale Boyd. Myself and a Detective were separated from the others. Gale found us, and we fought. He was shot, and when I was on the ground I found her – no one would ever have noticed her if I hadn't glanced underneath the netting over some crates.'

Gibbs remained quiet while Kensi spoke. He tossed his empty coffee cup away, and tried to keep his own emotions in check. The thought of anyone harming a child made him sick, but he had received the full warehouse report that morning.

He knew_ "monster"_ was an accurate term for the bastard, Gale Boyd.

'The Detective said the girl's name was Joanna.' Kensi fidgeted and grit her teeth, physically fighting all her urges to just take Jody and leave. It was too late – now the truth had to come out. 'She has no one but a lawyer father who abuses her. There's nothing on him – nothing to arrest him. I will not let Jody go back to him, or to anyone who might hurt her.'

'I hate lawyers.' Gibbs muttered.

'My partner was a lawyer.' Kensi frowned. 'What happens now?'

'Now, we catch a dirtbag.' Gibbs nodded. 'The warehouse contained classified military-grade equipment and chemicals. It is now an official NCIS investigation. Joanna-'

'Jody.' Kensi corrected. 'I'm here on an alias. I attached her to it, as Jody. I had to make sure she had full medical insurance and benefits.'

'Jody is now under NCIS protection.'

'What?' Kensi stared, clutching the girl tighter.

'It's what I brought you in here to tell you.' Gibbs shrugged, as if it was no big deal. His eyes remained serious, however, but Kensi didn't notice. 'Hey. She's under your protection, Blye. Legally, no one can take that little girl away from you.'

'Thank you.' Kensi exhaled with relief, feeling a heaviness lift from her chest when she realised it was no longer something that could cost her career and freedom.

Jody was legally in her care, and no one could touch her as long as Kensi was around.

'Don't thank me.' Gibbs said, preparing to vacate the room. 'I'm just doing what's best for Jody. You're exactly what that girl needs right now - don't screw it up.'

Kensi watched him leave the conference room, and exhaled a long breath. Not wasting any time, Kensi dug her phone out of her pocket and texted Deeks. She stared at the screen for a while, then sent the message, and gathered the pink bear from the table.

_~ Deeks, call me when you have a moment. If you promise not to leave LA, I'll tell you everything. I don't need my partner to back me up – I just need my boyfriend to talk to._

She was convinced she could handle Jody on her own, but mentally she missed having Deeks to cheer her up when things got too serious or stressful. She had tried to push him away, worrying he'd show up at her doorstep, but Kensi recognised some things were easier when she had moral support. The irrational side of her mind begun to calm, paving way for progress and a willingness to believe she no longer had to fear for Jody being discovered and taken from her.

Gibbs had a way of imposing confidence with his words, and Kensi believed him when he said Jody wasn't going anywhere without her.

Kensi left the room, feeling a renewed sense of purpose, and returned to the bullpen. The atmosphere in the room was possibly even more tense than the conference room had been.

'What've you got?' Gibbs asked his team.

Tony and McGee looked at each other, then Tony sighed and stepped forward.

'Bad news, Boss.' Tony reported. 'Gale might not own most of the stuff in the warehouse.'

'He owned the warehouse. He was there.' Kensi stated, feeling her stomach sink with the expressions on the other agent's faces. What could possibly go wrong now?

'Co-owned it, actually.' McGee said. 'Gale has a twenty-eight-year-old son, Ronald Boyd. He was arrested a few years back for molesting two kids: a four-year-old boy and his six-year-old sister. They didn't have enough to hold him, so the charges didn't stick.'

While the others talked, Kensi looked to the screen where a younger-looking version of Gale appeared. There was a difference, though. Kensi didn't have a very clear view of Gale during the struggle or afterwards, but the younger man on the screen surpassed even his father in creepiness.

His eyes were blacked with ill-intents and his smirk sent cold shivers down her spine.

Gripping Jody in her arms, Kensi felt her entire body go numb with the worse possible thought that could occur to her: if Gale Boyd truly hadn't kidnapped or hurt Jody, then his son must have. Ronald Boyd, as Tony soon revealed, was still out there somewhere. To make matters worse - apparently his unproven, though undoubted, crime count against children was even higher than Gale's. The monster who had caused Jody so much pain and fear was out there lapping up his undeserved freedom.

They'd slain one monster that night at the warehouse, but now an even darker one roamed free.


End file.
